Injuries described in detail at murder trial

A forensic pathologist described Cindy Sullivan’s injuries in detail as the trial of Ronald Shorey entered its second week in court here Monday.

Crown prosecutors Pardeep Bhachu and Paul Layefsky called on Dr. Alfredo Walker to describe to Justice Robert Scott dozens of injuries found on Sullivan’s body.

Walker described the two stab wounds on the body with the help of computerized images projected on a screen. Justice Scott had previously stated the photographs of the woman’s body and associated injuries were too sensitive to reveal to members of public attending the trial.

Walker told the court that Sullivan had two stab wounds on her body, one in her neck and the other in her chest. The one in her chest, he suggested, would not have been immediately fatal but would have been the injury responsible for the large pool of blood on the bedroom floor where the woman’s body was discovered on Aug. 17, 2012 in Shorey’s apartment at 29 Adrian Ct., Trenton.

The other stab wound, in the left side of Sullivan’s neck, would have interrupted the central nervous system and caused quadriplegia and a complete paralysis of the respiratory muscles.

“Voluntary movement of the upper and lower limbs would not have been possible,” Walker said.

Walker said determining the amount of force used to inflict the wounds is not an exact science but said wounds where bone is injured – like in Sullivan’s neck – the force would likely need to be of “a severe degree.” Wounds like the one in her chest, where the only damage done was to soft tissue, would have required at least “minimal” force.

In addition to the two stab wounds, Sullivan’s face and neck showed another 21 injuries, although Walker stated the number of injuries is not indicative of the number of blows. These injuries ranged in size from a 0.3 centimetre abrasion to the largest of the facial injuries being a 21 centimetre by 15 centimetre injury on the left side of the face which caused intense hemorrhaging and bruising.

In addition, there is some evidence of forceful gripping of the neck but no evidence of sustained compression or strangulation. There were also some small defensive wounds on Sullivan’s left hand, one possible defensive wound on her right hand and blunt force injuries on her forearms.

Walker said that blood samples sent to the Centre of Forensic Sciences show Sullivan’s blood alcohol content was between two to three times what is considered to be the legal driving limit but he later agreed with lawyer Pieter Kort that blood alcohol levels can rise in a body due to putrefaction – part of the decomposition process.

In the afternoon, court heard from four members of the Ontario Provincial Police, three of whom were members of the Quinte West OPP in 2008 while one was a member the Stirling-Rawdon Police Services. The officers described their own interactions with Shorey in March and September of that year when the man was arrested for impaired driving. He was first arrested by Cst. Trevor MacLean in Stirling after driving into a ditch on March 14, 2008. Shorey was arrested for impaired driving a second time on September 8, 2008 by Cst. Andreas Eberhardt in Quinte West.

Both officers described how they were overcome by the smell of alcohol when they approached Shorey’s vehicle in the separate incidents. Cst. Micheal Pigeau, the technician who conducted the breath alcohol test on Shorey in the March incident, said the report record shows his blood alcohol content levels just above 330 milligrams per 100 millimetres of blood.

Tests conducted after the September arrest showed Shorey had a blood alcohol content level of 406 milligrams in 100 millilitres of blood on an initial test and then a second reading of 398 milligrams. These levels were so high that officers took Shorey to Trenton Memorial Hospital for review by doctors although there was ultimately no medical concern.

The prosecutors also played a brief recording in court Monday – a voice-mail message left by Shorey on Sullivan’s machine on Aug. 15, just before 1 p.m. In the message, Shorey tells Sullivan he feels empowered in reference to a break-up.

“It’s just been absolutely perfect you know. I didn’t realize how empowering you would be... except, I love you and I want you for the rest of my life.”